Hydraulic controlling valve



Nov. 2 1926.

P. MaCKENZIE HYDRAULIC CONTROLLINGJVALVE Filed August 2l, 1922 y 2Sheets-Shet l P.7MacKENz|E A HYDRAULIC l CONTROLLING VALVE Filed August21. 1922 2 lsnee-sneet 2 "willl W ml LIV? l Patented. Nev. 2, 1926.

, UNITED s/TA-T'Esf PATENT OFFICE..

2311.115 MAQKENZIE, or SAN rnnncrsco, CALIFORNIA.

HYDRAULIC CONTROLLING- VALVE.

Application led August 21, 1922. Serial No. 583,438.-

actuator movable in opposite directions for actuating the drag link ofthe steering wheels and novel 'valve mechanism for controlling` the flowof fluid to either side of the actuator. This valve mechanism comprisesa casing having inner and outer rotatable sleeves, the inner sleevebeing divided into a pressure chamber and an 1B exhaust chamber, saidpressure chamber j being v1n constant communicatlon. with the inlet ofthe valve casing and 1n communica- Y tion with the outlet when disposedin neutral position so that fluid from a pump or 3 the like may becirculated through the valve mechanism without aifecting the actuator.The exhaust chamber is in constant communication -with the outlet of thevalve casing and the said sleeves have cooperating ports whereby toplacel the pressure chamber either side of the actuator and the exhaustchamber simultaneously7 into communication with the opposite side of theactuator, so that Huid from the pressure chamber will be directed to onesideof the actuator and the opposite side of the actuator will be incommunication with the exhausty chamber 5 of the valve mechanism. One ofsaid sleeves is arranged to be rotated by manually operated means andthe other sleeve has operative connections with the actuator, so that assoon as the vactuator begins to move the o connected sleeve will followup the movement of the manually operated sleeve and close the ports. I

sume is exempliied in the following description and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in wliich- Fig. 1 shows a sectional View of thevalve mechanism. Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 show cross sectional '0 views takenon the lines 2 2, 3-3, 4-4

and 5 5 respectivelyzof Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the actuator and its" connections withthe drag link of the steering wheels.

into communication with Fig.`7 shows a side elevation of the parts shownin Fig. 6.

In the mechanismillustrated in the drawl ings, a drag link 9 isconnectedto the rod l0 of a piston 11, which latter works within a cylinder 12.Fluid pipes 13 and 14 extend from opposite ends of the cylinder to thevalve mechanism carried on the lowerend I p,

of a steering post 15.

The valve mechanism includes av casing 16, an outer sleeve 17 and aninner sleeve 1.8, both sleeves being rotatable within the casing.From-'a pump, not shown, fluid is vadmitted to an Aannular channel 19.in the casing through a pipe 20. From this channel the fluid passesthrough ports 21 formed in the sleeves, said ports being so arranged asto be in cpn'stant register regardless of the relative positions of thetwo sleeves. This is due to the fact that an annular groove is formedaround the sleeve 18 at the point where the ports 21 occur. Therefore,fluid entering the ports in the sleeve 17 will enter this annular grooveand then pass through the ports into the sleeve 18.

The inner Cylinder has an L-shaped partition 22 dividing it into apressure chamber 23 and an exhaust chamber 24:. Ports25 are formedv inthe two sleeves .at kthe end opposite the intake and on the pressureside. These ports are adapted to register when the steering mechanism isin neutral position and allow Huid" to escape from the pressure chamberinto an annularv channel 26 in -the casing, and thence to a return pipe27 leading to the pump. The exhaust chamber 24 opens at one end into aspace 24:a inthe casing, and hence is in constant communication with thereturn pipe 27.

Where each of the pipes 13 and 14conformed with an annular channel v28and 28". The sleeves control the inlet or outlet of fluid to and fromthese/channels by an arrangement of ports, which is similar in the caseof each channel. y Disposed 4within the channel 28 is a port 29 formedin the outer sleeve, said port being in a line with the partition 22 othe inner sleeve. The inner sleeve-has two ports 30 and 31 forco-operation with the said port 29, the ports 30 and 31 being onopposite sides of the partitionwall. A port 32 is formed in the amvnects with the valve casing, the latter isy One form which my inventionmay asouter sleeve on the side opposite the port 29 and opens into thechannel 28a. For co-operation With the port 32 the inner sleeve hasports 33 and 34 arranged on opposite sides of its partition Wall.

In the operation of the valve mechanism, when the inner sleeve is turnedto the right the port 30 registers Wit-h the port 29 and the escapeports 25 are thereupon closed or placed out of register. The fluidpasses from the pressure chamber 23 into the channel 28 and thence bypipe 13 into one end of the cylinder. At the same time the port 34 movesinto register With the port 32, thereby establishing communicationbetween the pipe 14 and the exhaust chamber of the inner sleeve, so thatluid on the inactive side of the piston will be returned to the pump.This Will cause the steering mechanism to be actuated in one direction.An opposite movement of the steering mechanism is obtained by turningthe inner sleeve to the left. The inner sleeve is connected to androtated by the steering post 15.

In order that the pist-011 shall not move the full length of its strokewhen the ports areplaced in register, I provide for automatically movingthe outer sleeve 1n a d1- rection to follow u p the movement of theinner sleeve, and thus close the ports and shorten the movements of thepiston. This may be done in a variety of different Ways, and in thepresent instance I show a block V35 connected to the piston rod 10 andthreaded on to a Worm 36. This Worm carries a gear which meshes With aspiral gear 37,-Which is carried on the steering post and has a certainamount of play by reason of the loose connections 38, shown in Fig.`

The spiral gear in turn is connected to the outer sleeve through themedium of a clutch mechanism 37a. This clutch mechanism comprises aclutch member 37b rotatably mounted on the shaft 15 and having dogs 37cengaging notches in lthe outer sleeve.

l The spiral gear 37 and the clutch member 37b are formed withinterlocking members 37d by means of whichl rotation is imparted fromthe gear to the clutch member. Thus when the steering post is turned torotate the inner sleeve and put the Working ports int-o register, theouter sleeve Will remain stationary owing to the looseconnection,unless, of course, the post be turned a considerable distance, in Whichcase the outer sleeve Will follow the inner sleeve, but in suchaposition as to maintain the ports in register. As soon as the turning ofthe post ceases the motion of the piston Will cause the spiral gear 37to actuate the outer sleeve and close the ports. For this reason a smallmovement of the post will give a small amount of movement tothe steeringwheel, and if it is desired to turn the steering Wheels a considerableamount, then the operator merely turns the post a corresponding greateramount.

Should the pump for any reason fail in its operation, I provide forautomatically cutting ott the circulation of the fluid through the valvemechanism. This cut-olf is in the form of a plunger 3S) disposed betweenthe inlet pipe 2O and the annular channel 19. The plunger is held inretracted position by the pressure fluid and a spring 40 is placedbehind the plunger to advance the same and close the inlet should thefluid pressure fail. Then the fluid pressure is c-utoli' the mechanismcan be operated by hand, since the turning of the post will actuate thespiral gear 37 and Worm 36, which latter will actuate the drag linkthrough the member 35.

The plunger has an attenuated portion 41, which, when the plunger ismoved forwardly b the spring 40, occupies a position over ving two ports42 and 43 formed in the valve casing. These ports communicate with theannular channels 28 and 28a, so that When the plunger is advanced to cutoil the inflow of oil the pipes 13 and 14 are in communication with eachother, and, therefore, the piston is free to move back and forth Withinits cylinder, the oil therein passing freely from one side to the otherbyreason ofthe ports 42 and 43.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts hereinshown and described may be employed Without departing from the spirit ofmy invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and 'desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A fluid pressure steering mechanism comprising a cylinder, a pistontherein movable in opposite directions, valve mechanism for controllingthe flow of fiuidto either side of the piston, said valve mechanismincluding a casing, inner and outer rotatable sleeves in the casing, theinner sleeve being formed with a pressure chamber and an eX- haustchamber, said pressure chamber being in constant communication with theinlet of the valve casing and in communication With the outlet thereofwhen disposed in neutral position and said exhaust chamber being inconstant communication With the outlet of the valve casing, said sleeveshaving cooperating ports whereby to place the pressure chamber intocommunication with either side of the piston and the exhaust chambersimultaneously into communication with the opposite side of the piston.

2. A fluid pressure steering mechanism comprising a cylinder, a pistontherein movable in opposite directions, valve mechanism for controllingthe fion' of fluid to either side of the piston, said valve mechanismllO including a casing, inner and outer rotatable sleeves 1n the casing,the inner sleeve being formed with a pressure chamber and an exhaustchamber, said pressure' chamber being in constant communication with theinlet of the valve casing and in communication with the outlet thereofywhen disposed in neutral positon and saidv lcommunication with eitherside of the piston and the exhaust chamber simultaneously intocommunication with the opposite side of-the piston, manually operatedmeans to rotate one of said sleeves to cause said ports to register andmeans operated by the actuator to cause the other sleeve to follow upthe movement of the irst sleeveand close the ports.` A

- 3. A` fluid pressure steering mechanism comprising a cylinder, apiston therein movble in opposite directions', valve mechanism forcontrolling the flow of Huid to either side of the piston, said valvemechanism co-operating ports including a casing, inner and outerrotatable sleeves in the casing, the inner sleeve being formed with apressure chamber and an exhaust chamber, said pressure chamber being inconstant communication with the inlet of the valve casing and incommunication with the outlet thereof Whendisposed in neutral positionand said exhaust chamber being in constant communication with the outletof the valve casing, said sleeves having co-operating ports whereby toplace the pressure chamber into communication with either side of thepiston and the eX- haust chamber simultaneously into communication withthe opposite side of the piston, manually operated means -or rotatingone of said sleeves to cause said ports to register,

and means operated by the actuator to cause the other sleeve to followupthe movement of the first sleeve and close the ports, saidlast-mentioned means including a lost motion gearmounted on the post,said gear being connected to the actuator and to the sleeve.-

"i PHILIP MAOKENZIE.

